Tom Rogic's gamble to play for Victory will be tested

Michael Lynch, John Salvado

The man on whom Australia is set to base much of its World Cup strategy, midfielder Tom Rogic, gambled when he opted to come to Melbourne Victory in a bid to play himself into form and fitness for Brazil.

And on Saturday night Rogic will find out if his punt has paid off if Victory can see off Thai opponent Muangthong United in their Asian Champions League qualifier at Geelong's Simonds Stadium.

Barring injury, Rogic is a guaranteed starter for Victory in its final eight A-League matches and any finals games it might qualify for. But the midfielder could certainly do with the extra half-dozen group-stage Champions League games he will get should Victory see off its Thai rivals at the AFL venue, which is being used because AAMI Park is staging the Bruce Springsteen concert this weekend.

Such matches against high-quality opposition would tune Rogic up perfectly for the World Cup.

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Muangthong has arrived in Australia in disarray, with coach Scott Cooper rejecting a story on the SBS website The World Game on Thursday that claimed he would quit the club after this game. It is also without its key player, North Korean international Ri Kwang-Chon, who failed to submit his visa application on time.

On Thursday, Cooper was quoted as saying, ''this playoff will be my last match with the club''.

But in a subsequent piece on Muangthong's website, Cooper, who joined the club only a month ago from Thai champion Buriram United, said: ''I will still be with the football club after the game. The trick by the Australian side is clearly meant to unsettle the team … But actually it's a mistake because that makes us stronger and gives us something more to be annoyed at and fight a little harder.''

Victory coach Kevin Muscat was unimpressed by the comments. ''I'm insulted, to be honest,'' he said. ''It's got nothing to do with us, it's someone else's issue and they should take them up with whoever they need to.''

Victory will make two changes: Socceroo midfielder Mark Milligan will replace Rashid Mahazi, while Gui Finkler's absence from the Champions League squad opens the door for Kosta Barbarouses, back from injury.

■ Harry Kewell will be an absentee from Melbourne Heart's line-up in Wellington, New Zealand, on Sunday after injuring a foot in the win over Perth Glory last Sunday.

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